Quiet

Today my clan left after four days of family frenzy that happens when three kids, two cats, and 3-4 grownup (depending on Bill's schedule) try to pack as much into a day as possible. I still can't believe my sister Susan drove all the way from Washington with her daughter Leyla and kids; I had just been out to see them three weeks ago! I am so thankful I have had the time off this summer for traveling and visiting family. Bill and I have also been able to have a little fun. Last week we went to Chicago for three days - he on business, me doing a little solo stuff during the day. We went to Greektown (for lamb, flaming cheese, etc.), Uno's (for pizza), and the Taste of Chicago for everything else. Now it's time to settle down a bit and "savor" the memories.

Canoa

One of the places we visited over Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Ecuador was a beach in Canoa. We stayed at a resort called the Bamboo and for $10 USD each, we had a fantastic time. Getting to Canoa, however, involved some serious travel. We took a taxi from our apartment to the airport, then after arriving in a town called Manta, took an hour-long taxi to an unnamed resort community. Next, we climbed into a small watercraft loaded down with local commuters and our luggage. The time went fast, though, thanks to a little boy who serenated us with singing and clapping. After disembarking we took our final taxi ride to the coastal village of Canoa. The beach had great surfing, we were told, and the water was very warm. It was a perfect place to relax; I thoroughly enjoyed resting on the wooden chairs under the shady cabana on the beach, swinging and reading in the hammocks, and sipping hot cocoa on the balcony of my room. The Bamboo resort had a special section of its menu devoted to crepes, which of course were stuffed with shrimp. Ecuador has plenty of fresh seafood. Our crepe meals averaged $3.50. Wow.

Ceviche in Guapalo

We hiked for one and a half hours (uphill) to reach Guapalo - the place, they tell us, that has the best ceviche in the world. (The pictures you see with this entry were taken in Guapalo.)Ceviche is a cold fish soup - I chose to have shrimp in mine. We were told afterwards that the shrimp was uncooked, but the lime brine in which it was soaked "cooked" it enough and provided that YUMMY taste. In this particular restaurant, which was tucked away in a Guapalo neighborhood, they serve the soup with popcorn and planteen chips. I'd like to hear from anyone else about their first ceviche experience. Me gusta mucho!

Visiting Isabella and Family

I'm back home after two months in Ecuador and two weeks of visiting my family in Oregon and Washington. I had a great time with my granddaughter, Isabella, in Eugene. I was able to see her take that initial swing at her first t-ball practice. It brought back memories of cheering my boys on at their t-ball games. I was also able to visit Bella's first grade class and talk with them a bit about the kids in Ecuador. They were so full of wonder and questions and it was fun to be involved in this part of Bella's life. My sisters Susan and Brenda and brothers Ted and Mark all live in Washington state with their families. I was able to spend some quality time with them, too, but wish we all lived closer. Now that I'm back in Minnesota, Bill and I are getting to finally spend some time together. After all the traveling I've done this spring, it does feel good to be HOME!